Two laptops, one receives wireless DHCP address and the other doesn't

[tropostropos]

I have two laptops running XP-SP1 that both connect to the same Netgear

wireless router that also acts as a DHCP server for them. (The
wireless router is on my home wired LAN, with its own static IP address
on the wired LAN.)

One of the laptops boots and gets a DHCP IP address first time every
time within seconds of
booting. The other always fails to get a DHCP IP address.

Both laptops are configured to use the wireless network with no
authentication or encryption, and to use DHCP. I have tried them both
with the same Cisco network PCMCIA card, to rule out a problem with the
network card. I have tried setting the problem laptop right next to
the router. The signal is strong, the network connection is 'enabled',
and packets have been sent and received. If I use ipconfig on the
problem laptop, and try /renew, I get this:
<begin paste>
ipconfig
.. . .
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Cisco Systems 350 Series
PCMCIA Wireless LAN Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-09-43-20-26-3F
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255


C:\Documents and Settings\myname\Desktop>ipconfig /renew

Windows IP Configuration

An error occurred while renewing interface Wireless Network Connection
: unable
to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.
<end paste>



Can anyone help? Is there any test I can run, or configuration I may
have missed?

Tropos

 

[Kerry Brown]

I have two laptops running XP-SP1 that both connect to the same
Netgear

wireless router that also acts as a DHCP server for them. (The
wireless router is on my home wired LAN, with its own static IP
address on the wired LAN.)

One of the laptops boots and gets a DHCP IP address first time every
time within seconds of
booting. The other always fails to get a DHCP IP address.

Both laptops are configured to use the wireless network with no
authentication or encryption, and to use DHCP. I have tried them both
with the same Cisco network PCMCIA card, to rule out a problem with
the network card. I have tried setting the problem laptop right next
to the router. The signal is strong, the network connection is
'enabled', and packets have been sent and received. If I use
ipconfig on the problem laptop, and try /renew, I get this:
<begin paste>
ipconfig
. . .
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Cisco Systems 350 Series
PCMCIA Wireless LAN Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-09-43-20-26-3F
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255


C:\Documents and Settings\myname\Desktop>ipconfig /renew

Windows IP Configuration

An error occurred while renewing interface Wireless Network Connection
to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.
<end paste>



Can anyone help? Is there any test I can run, or configuration I may
have missed?

Tropos

What firewall is running on the problem laptop?

Kerry

 

[tropostropos]

No firewall, as far as I can tell. (How can I tell?)

Also: Even though the wireless connection says 'Connected', and a few
packets have been sent and received, if I select 'View Available
Wireless Networks', no networks are shown in the 'Available' list.

My good laptop shows not only my own network, but the neighbours'
network as well.

Tropos

 

[Kerry Brown]

No firewall, as far as I can tell. (How can I tell?)

Also: Even though the wireless connection says 'Connected', and a
few packets have been sent and received, if I select 'View Available
Wireless Networks', no networks are shown in the 'Available' list.

My good laptop shows not only my own network, but the neighbours'
network as well.

Tropos

What antivirus or security suite are you running? Many of them have a built
in firewall. What wireless chipset is the problem laptop using? Has this
laptop been able to connect to other wireless networks?

Kerry

 

[jimbo]

I have two laptops running XP-SP1 that both connect to the same Netgear

wireless router that also acts as a DHCP server for them. (The
wireless router is on my home wired LAN, with its own static IP address
on the wired LAN.)

One of the laptops boots and gets a DHCP IP address first time every
time within seconds of
booting. The other always fails to get a DHCP IP address.

Both laptops are configured to use the wireless network with no
authentication or encryption, and to use DHCP. I have tried them both
with the same Cisco network PCMCIA card, to rule out a problem with the
network card. I have tried setting the problem laptop right next to
the router. The signal is strong, the network connection is 'enabled',
and packets have been sent and received. If I use ipconfig on the
problem laptop, and try /renew, I get this:
<begin paste>
ipconfig
. . .
Ethernet adapter Wireless Network Connection:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Cisco Systems 350 Series
PCMCIA Wireless LAN Adapter
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-09-43-20-26-3F
Dhcp Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : No
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 0.0.0.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.255


C:\Documents and Settings\myname\Desktop>ipconfig /renew

Windows IP Configuration

An error occurred while renewing interface Wireless Network Connection
: unable
to contact your DHCP server. Request has timed out.
<end paste>



Can anyone help? Is there any test I can run, or configuration I may
have missed?

Tropos

Well, when I run IPConfig on a wireless laptop I have
Autoconfiguration Enabled Yes, Subnet Mask 255.255.255.0, Default
Gateway and DHCP server both set to my router IP address.

I think you have the Windows Network setup wrong on the problem
laptop. I have never seen a Subnet Mask of 255.255.255.255.

Good luck, jimbo